After writing quite a few posts this semester, as I was pondering what to write about today, I realized that selling work would be a perfect post! Mainly because I have spent the last 16 years doing that very thing, and thanks to Professor Sweet I have realized that my life was a life of sales.
How do we get people to do things that we know will be good for them in the long run? How do we convince people (mainly school-age 5-17 years of age) to buy into the fact that doing schoolwork is a good thing and something that they should do, when there is no real advantage in the present, but that the advantage to doing that work is in the ‘far’ future.
Something I have learned is that what will cause a young person to “buy” the work mentality is very individual as is each person. What might work to win one young person to work hard will not work for another. Some may do the work because they were asked to do it, out of respect for their teacher. Some may work hard because they like to accomplish things and are self-motivated. Some may work hard because they can be motivated by bribery with candy or games, or screen time. Some young children may have an understanding that their hard work at age 7 will be something they will benefit from at age 19, but I don’t think there are too many of these!
I remember at the beginning of the semester Professor Sweet telling us that we are all in sales. How true that is. So much of what we learned this semester can help us be great life-long salespeople. We can use these tools in so many parts of our lives. This post is pivoting a bit as I am writing, and I realize how we can use these sales skills not just to make money, convince children to work hard, or sell people a healthy lifestyle but we can use all we have learned to glorify the Lord.
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
1 Corinthains 10:31
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Growing up the only way I’d get my homework done was if it was for a teacher I respected. I often didn’t have too many of these but my parents tried their hardest to sell me on the importance of doing the work regardless. I think one thing that may be helpful when my children inevitably don’t want to do their schoolwork, is the difference between agitation and irritation. Thanks for your post
I have never thought about this before, but it is so true! Looking back, I see that I did my schoolwork because I knew I would get in trouble if I didn’t. Now, I see my younger brother doing his work right after school to get it done so that he can have time to play the rest of the night.
This is an excellent view of sales. It truly does come into everything we do in life! I have personally found myself seeing this more and more as class goes on and I learn the different ways people sell every day.
My parents were wonderful salesman. Naturally, when I was younger they forced certain things on me. However, when I reached the age of 14, my parents began to let me go a little bit. Their strategy turned from telling, to selling. Not the persuasion type of selling, but the consultative type; the one that let me know they had my best interest at heart, genuinely wanted what was best for me, and wanted to see my succeed. They gave advice, asked me questions to help me think through my actions, and offered solutions. Did I listen? No. But they weren’t telling, and they weren’t persuading. They were helping. It took them a while, but after 4 years, I finally bought, and will continue to.